Loss and Gain
by lost highway
Summary: A simple mission that goes wrong with some unexpected results.


**Title:** Loss and Gain

**Author: **lost highway

**Recipient: **kakairu comm on lj

**Rating:** PG

**Pairings:** Kakashi and Iruka

**Summary:** A simple mission that goes wrong with some unexpected results.

**Contains [warnings]:** None

**Word Count:** ~1600

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to Emily for beta-ing this on such short notice. I had some fun writing this since I've never written anything like before. Written for the Winter Exchange Round at kakairu_fest on lj!

It was always the innocuous missions that went pear shaped, and this one spectacularly so. It had been a simple scroll delivery, requiring two Chunnin and One Jounin. Simple, straight forward, but time sensitive. The rogue ninjas had attacked almost immediately after the team had crossed the border of Fire Country. But the Konoha nin had been prepared for the attack, and easily got rid of the enemy. The time sensitive scroll was safely delivered to the Kazekage, and an answer was given to take back to the Hokage. Feeling rather pleased with themselves, the Konoha nin began their journey home, assisted by some Sand nin until the edge of Wind Country. A mere twenty-four hours away from the border of Fire Country, they were all eager to get home. But of course, as luck would have it, they were a mere two hours away from Fire Country when the missing nin attacked again. This time, the Konoha nin were caught off guard. At every turn, they were prevented from taking a defensive formation. With a glance to one another, they took off running. They needed time to mount an attack. But lady luck was not on their side that day; one of the nin was exceptionally good at earth jutsu.

Dust was everywhere. It was in his eyes, his mouth, and in his clothes. But he had gotten that nin. Grinning lopsidedly, Kakashi Hatake recalled how his Raikiri had electrocuted two of the six nin. He was pretty sure that the two Chunnin had taken out another three with senbon and a well-placed exploding tag. He wasn't sure what had happened to the last one, but since he couldn't hear anything or feel any malicious chakra, he was sure the man had either run off or been killed when he wasn't watching.

Kakashi opened his eye gingerly, mindful of the dust all around him, only to see darkness. He froze before sending his chakra out in small waves to map out the area.

"Taichou! Taichou! Sensei! Are you guys okay?" Kakashi glanced upward. The voice was coming above him, so he could only assume that the death of the enemy nin had caused the chunks of earth to fall on top of him, trapping him in a cave-like structure.

"Nori," he called back. "I'm trapped down here, the rocks fell forming a cave over me. Is the enemy dead?"

"Yes," Kakashi could hear the relief in the young Chunnin's voice. "I got rid of him when you used Raikiri."

"Alright. You need to find Umino and go and get help from Konoha. There's plenty of oxygen in this cave for now, but I won't last more than thirty-six hours."

"Taichou…" Nori's voice trailed off. He began again, slightly stronger. "Sensei isn't here. I think he might be trapped with you."

Pausing for a moment, Kakashi lifted his forehead protector and peered into the darkness with his Sharingan. He let out a gasp as he found the Sensei. The man was lying prone on the ground, his chakra wavering weakly. His legs were pinned by a large boulder that held up the ceiling of the cave. Kakashi rushed over and felt for a pulse. He sighed with relief as he felt a weak but steady pulse under his fingers.

"Nori! We need medics ASAP! Umino has been pinned under a boulder and I can't remove it without the entire structure collapsing on us. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Taichou! I'm already on my way!" Nori's chakra faded away rapidly and Kakashi breathed another sigh of relief as turned back to the Sensei. He set about pulling out his bedroll from his scrolls. Hopefully the man would come to soon. Kakashi didn't trust himself to heal a man who was already so traumatized.

"T-t-taichou?" Kakashi dropped to his knees besides the Sensei's head. "Taichou, are you alright?"

Kakashi could have laughed with relief. Trust the man, who had been unresponsive for five hours, to be worried about someone else's safety first.

"Taichou, I can't seem to be able to get up? I think my feet have fallen asleep." Kakashi's blood ran cold at the weak attempt at humor.

"Sensei, can you feel your feet at all?"

Iruka's face paled even further. "No. Taichou – Kakashi, what's going on? What's wrong?"

"Your legs have been pinned under a boulder." He said bluntly. "I don't know how much blood you've lost, but you've lost a lot chakra."

"Taichou, I can't feel my legs," Iruka's voice had a note of hysteria in it. "I can't feel my legs! I can't feel anything, I can't –"

"Shhhh," Kakashi said soothingly. "You're gonna be okay. Nori's gone to get help and we have plenty of air. You just need to calm down."

Iruka took a deep breath. "You're right. At least you weren't harmed. I can't imagine what would have happened if both of us had been hit by this boulder."

"What do you 'both of us'?" Kakashi questioned, a spark growing in his mind. "Iruka-sensei, did you plan this?"

"No!" Iruka said a little too quickly. "Well, sort of. But you didn't see the boulder falling on you, and I had to do something."

Kakashi paled visibly as the small spark in his mind grew to a gut-wrenching horror. _How could he-_, he thought. He took a deep breath before looking back at the man.

"Why did you do that?" He asked. "Why would you do that? There was no need for you to save me!"

Iruka was taken aback by the intensity in the other man's voice. He didn't understand how the man, who had been calm just a moment ago, was bordering on hysteria.

"It's better me than you."

"Fuck!" Kakashi swore as he paced around the cave. _Every damn time! Who decided that he would live on without harm while others died for him?_

Iruka offered up a weak smile. "Konoha needs its best ninja. He can't just die under a boulder. Besides, I know that if you're still okay, you'll take care of Naruto."

Kakashi's punch barely missed Iruka's head. "If I had just been faster. If I had just been a better leader…"

He was cut off as Iruka's hand weakly grasped his closed fist. The Sensei smiled at him as he spoke, "You're the best leader we have Kakashi, that's why people want to protect you. Don't blame yourself for this. I'm still alive, and Tsunade is the best healer in all of the five countries. Besides, it's my personality that people are afraid of; you won't be so easily rid of me in the Missions Room."

Kakashi choked back a laugh as he grasped the other man's hand tightly. "You're going to be fine, Sensei."

"So are you Kakashi," Iruka replied seriously. "So are you."

"Taichou! Sensei!" A voice called out from above. "Are you alright?"

"Nori! Get us out of here!" Kakashi looked back at Iruka. "Looks like he got help a lot faster than we expected."

"Nori was always resourceful in school in finding accomplices for his pranks. Not as good as Konohamaru and Naruto though," Iruka laughed before finishing with a hacking cough.

Kakashi gave him a weak grin before his expression sobered. "Iruka, you may never walk again." _There, I said it._

Iruka was silent for a long moment. Guilt tore at Kakashi's gut, but he didn't speak any further. The faster the Sensei realized his situation, the faster his healing would be. Finally, Iruka opened his mouth.

"I know. But I'll still be alive. And I'll still be useful. It's more than I could hope for right now," he said slowly, as if he didn't quite believe the words himself. Kakashi squeezed his hand gently as the ceiling above him began to shake. He felt a returning squeeze and the two men felt silent again as slowly but surely, rays of light began to filter into the cave.

As Iruka's predicament was slowly revealed to the ninja, Kakashi felt the hand squeeze him tighter and tighter until a barely heard sob sounded from the younger man. Kakashi squeezed back just as hard as he too took in the damage. It was going to take a miracle to fix his legs.

"Form a neat line!" A voice bellowed through the Missions Room. "You're all competent Shinobi and I'm sure you all learned this in the Academy. If you didn't, perhaps you should return for a refresher course!"

The crowd collectively shuddered as they merged into proper lines. The man would make good on his threat, they all knew. In fact, only last week, Genma had been sent to night classes for a week where he was taught to write neatly.

"Maa, Sensei, was there any need for that?" Kakashi drawled from the doorway.

"You have yet to attend your night classes for that chicken scratch you call handwriting. When enemy ninja can recognize you for your untidy scrawl, it becomes a problem for security. One day you'll blow your cover because of that handwriting, and then that'll be the end of the Great Copy Ninja." Iruka replied easily from where he sat.

"They'd never be able to catch me."

"If a cripple like me can run you down, then an enemy nin most definitely can." Iruka wheeled himself around the desk. "You will attend class tonight."

To everyone's surprise, Kakashi replied meekly, "Yes Sensei."

Iruka grinned smugly as he wheeled himself away. It had taken time, but he had learned to live without his legs. He still taught at the Academy. He still was a holy terror in the Missions Room. And most of all, he had the Great Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake at his every beck and call as a mentor and as a friend. His life would never be the same, but he couldn't help but think that perhaps, it was even better now.

Hope you guys like it!


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